The People’s National Party’s (PNP) Julian Robinson has called for the publication of the Financial Sector Adjustment Company (FINSAC) Commission Report during a debate on the economy on Tuesday night.

He lamented that the country spent $150 million on the FINSAC Commission, and the report is still outstanding.

“We want the FINSAC report out and while you’re at it, we will publish the SSL report, because we notice that depositors have gotten $2, if dem did have $100 in deh…but the Most Honourable Prime Minister got all his money out of SSL before it collapsed,” Robinson said in response to a question on how a PNP government would ensure the country does not return to the high interest rates of the FINSAC era in the 1990s.

Robinson, who the PNP is pushing with the potential to become the next Minister of Finance, said it is a failure on the JLP’s part that, after all these years, given the impact of FINSAC, there is still no independent report.

“What we have seen is drips and drips being leaked out by that side, so when we talk about FINSAC, let’s get all the facts on the table,” Robinson said.

In rebutting, Dr Christopher Tufton, Campaign Manager, Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) said it is interesting that the PNP can speak about FINSAC, when the economic collapse of the 9090s occurred under the PNP’s watch and that a comrade, along with Peter Bunting, who was one of the debaters for the evening, benefited.

“Just recall the 40-40-40. You mentioned it. 40 per cent of GDP to recover from FINSAC, 40,000 businesses lost their money, 40 per cent being offered by merchant banks to make a profit, and D B & G made, on average, 40 per cent return on their investments, which one of the principals sits across me right there,” Dr Tufton said.

“They cannot talk about fiscal discipline. They cannot talk about managing an economy. They presided over the FINSAC era. They drove people in some instances to commit suicide, based on these reports. The Jamaican people cannot trust them,” he said.